


Back to You

by mx_conception



Category: Not Another D&D Podcast (Podcast)
Genre: Alcohol, Bar fights, Canon Non-Binary Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Other, Recreational Drug Use, The Inherent Eroticism of Healing Word, no beta we die like men, romcom energy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27550444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mx_conception/pseuds/mx_conception
Summary: The Blackthorn Hall is packed.Syb needs a lighter.They don’t end up getting one.
Relationships: Syb Bonkginya/Zirk Vervain (implied)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 45





	Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Exist for Love by Aurora, you should listen to it! 
> 
> Also, if vague surgical-esque descriptions squick you out, I wouldn’t recommend reading this whole fic. It’s not super bad, though.

The Blackthorn Hall is especially rowdy tonight. 

Every half-year or so, a few crates of Eldermourne’s finest (highly, highly illegal) recreational tinctures and substances find their way to the backroom of the Blackthorn.  
Even Madam Whitlock partakes when the unusual drinks are brewed and the cigars are rolled with extra ingredients.  
Syb is no exception. 

They take tentative sips of a foul-smelling cocktail that burns their throat, hot as whisky and sour as beer. It draws them into tipsiness at an unmatched speed, though, so they keep swallowing it down. 

There’s a fight going on, down in the ring, and Syb’s watching with a light sense of amusement. A burly humanoid swings her fist right into the jaw of a guy who seems too young to be in a casino of any kind. He falls to the ground, the crowd roars, rinse, repeat, and repeat again. 

Syb doesn’t even know why they bother watching anymore. At first, watching other unsavories getting their teeth knocked out was exciting, in a way, but combat without magic in Eldermourne gets boring _fast _.__

__Still, it’s easy money if you put your coins in the right corner._ _

__Syb gets up from their spot on the balcony, still carrying their drink, and heads to the bar to place a purchase and a bet.  
Fergus is talking loudly to some lady he’s trying to swoon, and Madam Whitlock sits somewhere nearby trying not to look too embarrassed of her brother. _ _

__The bartender working tonight is slim, sporting an old-fashioned mustache and a coiffed hairdo reeking of mousse. He perks a drawn-on eyebrow at Syb, waiting for their order without a greeting. In classic bartender fashion, he’s wiping down a glass with a rag in circular motions._ _

__“I’ll take a Dusk Moss cigar,” Syb says, fishing a few coppers out of their pocket and sliding it across the counter. “And two coins on the lady in the red corner.”_ _

__The bartender takes the money and goes to give Syb what they’re due, ducking into the backroom to retrieve their cigar. He comes back with five inches of what looks more like a roll of seaweed than one of tobacco. Syb snatches it, turns away, and feels at their pocket for their lighter._ _

__It’s not there._ _

__That’s strange, they were certain they slipped it into their jacket before they left home. Syb checks the other one, and sure enough, all they feel are their keys, a knife and their money pouch.  
Well, shit. They really want to get into this cigar. _ _

__Instead of returning to their spot at the balcony, they decide to approach Fergus.  
The woman he’s chatting up looks eager for an opportunity to walk away, so she meets Syb’s eyes and gives them a pleading look.  
“I hate to interrupt you two,” Syb says, holding up their cigar. “But Fergus, do you have a lighter I could borrow for a second?”_ _

__Fergus turns to them while he chokes down another mouthful of his foul drink. He obviously doesn’t need it; from the looks of his table, he’s already drank three of the concoctions. _Mercy, _Syb thinks, unsure if they would even finish their own.  
“I’m— we’re busy right now,” Fergus grumbles, crossing his arms in a childish show. “Use your own fuckin’ lighter.”___ _

____Syb sighs. What else do they expect? “I think I lost mine. Just let me use yours.” Under their breath, they add, “dipshit.”_ _ _ _

____Unfortunately, what they whisper comes out far too loud._ _ _ _

____The lady shoots Syb a grateful and suddenly apologetic smile as she escapes.  
“What the fuck did you jus’ say?” Fergus slurs, trying his best to focus his eyes on Syb. _ _ _ _

____“Nothing,” Syb says, annoyed, taking a step back. “I just need to borrow your lighter, man, that’s all.”_ _ _ _

____Quick to anger, Fergus stands from his chair, towering at least two full feet above Syb. “I don’t like your tone!” He growls, blindly patting at his table for something._ _ _ _

____Syb starts to say, “What the fuck are yo—“ when suddenly, one of the empty glasses is thrown at their head. It misses, passes them, and shatters on the ground. Everyone in the casino turns in its direction.  
“What the fuck is your problem, man?” Syb shrieks, backing up a few more steps. _ _ _ _

____A second glass is thrown at Syb. It’s clear that Fergus is a bad shot when drunk, but his message is loud and clear.  
“You!” Fergus shouts, reaching for his last empty glass. “You’re my fucking problem, you tiny piece of shit, you—“ he continues on a string of insults, completely unaware that every eye in the casino is on him. _ _ _ _

____Here’s the part Syb expects: similarly drunk people, spurred on by the excitement of an unsanctioned brawl beginning, start throwing jabs and punches. Fergus throws his last empty glass. Syb starts to push away through the crowd._ _ _ _

____Here’s the part Syb does not expect: the glass hits them on the side of their head and smashes to bits._ _ _ _

____They pocket their cigar and start sprinting towards the door. Fergus, stumbling in his drunken stupor, is on their tail.  
Syb’s not in much better shape, mostly drunk and light-headed from their new injury. Blood seeps down their neck and gathers at the collar of their coat. _ _ _ _

____Despite how dizzy it makes them, Syb runs out of the Blackthorn and into the Thornkirk streets. Fergus isn’t far behind them, though, and he reaches out to snag their arm._ _ _ _

____“You fuckin’ freak!” He hollers into their ear, twisting their left arm back. Syb winces but acts quick, drawing a dagger and plunging it fast into Fergus’s wrist.  
His grip loosens and Syb wriggles away, pulling the knife out. They duck between houses and markets, thankful to be as dexterous as they are under the heavy darkness. _ _ _ _

____No doubt the whole town would be woken by Fergus’s screams, wailing in pain and fury. __All I wanted was a fucking lighter, __Syb thinks, turning a corner and into an ally and _holy shit their head hurts. _They hide behind a trash can. They hear Fergus as he runs past._____ _ _ _ __

________They hold their breath and count out one minute. Fergus still screams through the street, but they swear he’s getting farther away.  
Syb counts out a second minute. They have to strain their ears to hear his hollering.  
Syb counts out a third minute.  
Fergus is gone. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They breath a sigh of relief, their heartbeat starting to slow. Syb all but collapses on the ground against the wall, adrenaline fading and replacing itself with sharp, sharp pain. There’s a distinct feeling right at the center of their injury. Syb figures there’s a small piece of glass lodged in their skin. Great._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They don’t know how long they’ve been lying there when they hear a door open in the ally._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Panic starts back up in their veins. Their eyes shoot open towards the sound, and... oh.  
Syb locks eyes with the doctor’s assistant they saved from Fergus only a week or so ago. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zonk?  
No, no, that wasn’t it.  
Zirk. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Syb, is that you?” Zirk asks, tilting his head to get a better look at them. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about those sounds from just a moment ago, would you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb makes some attempt at a response, but their voice doesn’t come.  
“There was a horror in the town that was literally a Banshee a little while ago, you know, so I can’t help but wonder if there’s a similar thing goi— wait, hold on, are you okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk walks over and kneels in front of Syb. They huff and pointedly turn away from his gaze, revealing the coagulating blood on their neck. “What does it look like to you, Doc?” They say, strained, doing their best to mock him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“You don’t sound so good either, are you—“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Drunk? I am,” Syb says miserably._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk continues to inspect the injury. “Gods, is that glass? Syb, that’s a pretty nasty wound, you had better come inside.” Zirk asserts, standing straight again and offering his hand to Syb._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Well. It’s not like they were going to refuse free medical attention._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk helps them inside, taking them through the back of the morgue and up some stairs, ushering them to a wide couch in his living room.  
“I hope you don’t mind the mess,” he says, sounding embarrassed, as if Syb was at a point to judge the state of his house. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They don’t bother kicking off their shoes, tucking their feet up onto the couch and putting themself in a comfortable enough position.  
Zirk runs off to fetch equipment, words coming out in a constant flow as if he didn’t need to breath. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, right, I can grab you some water if you need, or, um, there’s a pillow on the couch if you’re uncomfy, just let me know—“ and other strings of nonsense in a comforting tone. It was... nice. Syb hadn’t expected that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb accepts water with silent gratitude, feeling a smidge of sobriety when they take a sip. Zirk keeps them talking as he gathers equipment in the nearby hall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“So, Syb, when did this happen?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Umm. Twenty minutes ago, I think?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk nods, just as distantly as a true doctor might. “Good, okay.” He comes back over with a basket and a stool, seating himself by the couch._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb cranes their head to face him. “Don’t you have magic, or something?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk nods, pulling out a glass bottle and some thick tissues. “Well, yes, but the injury would seal up much more easily without any shards of glass in there, don’t you think?”  
Syb couldn’t argue with that. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The operation is simple. Zirk cleans the wound, numbs it with some sort of elixir, extracts the glass, and mutters a Healing Word spell right into Syb’s ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“All better now, hmm?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb isn’t prepared for the way that Zirk’s whisper makes their heart leap.  
In any case, the numbness and the pain subsides, leaving only the tiny trace of a scar. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Perfect,” Zirk says, a smile stretching naturally across his lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Great,” Syb blurts out, a little too loud._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk puts away his tools, quieter than before, and then returns to Syb. He undoes his ponytail and reties it to secure more of his hair. “So, Syb—“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I should go.” Syb says, cutting Zirk off by accident. They run their thumb over the hilt of the dagger in their pocket, a sort of nervous tic they’ve acquired._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk nods slowly. “Uh, okay. It is pretty late though, and if it’s still dangerous out there...”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk sits in the stool again, brows furrowed with something like pity. Only kinder. Oh, shit, that’s what sympathy is, huh?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I..I guess if you’re offering up your couch, I’ll take it.” Syb sighs, halfway already succumbed to the coziness of Zirk’s home. The couch is deceptively comfortable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zirk smiles at them again. “Okay, sounds good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A pause fills the space between them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Um.” Syb clears their throat. “Thanks, uh, doctor boy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb doesn’t expect Zirk to laugh, but he does, soft and not terribly impressed, but it’s still a giggle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“No problem. Criminal...person.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb doesn’t laugh, but they do smile back at Zirk. Maybe it’s a little more of a smirk.  
Zirk retrieves a blanket from a closet that smells like cinnamon and myrrh. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Syb finds sleep easy in the apprentice-doctor’s home much easier than they do in their own. Maybe it’s because they’re still drunk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Maybe it’s because, for the first time in awhile, they feel truly safe._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Comments and Kudos make my day!


End file.
